Ruta graveolens / Ruta / Rutaceae (Rue family)
Information
This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption
or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this
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for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be
interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product.
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and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose,
treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this
product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in
the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's
risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and
interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for
any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we
deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain
omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the
documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make
any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these
plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition.
Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular
purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose
may be lacking.
Other Names
Aruta, Common Rue, Garden Rue, German Rue, Countryman's Treacle, German Rue, Herb of Grace, Herb of Repentance, Herbygrass, Ruda, Rue, Sadab, Somalata, Weinkraut, Wijnruit.
Scent
Ruta has a pungent, skunk-like odor.
Contents
The chemical composition is large and varied. Over 110 chemicals have been found in all parts of the plant, including fats, oils, flavanoids, alkaloids, essential oils and a host of others. The volatile oil is contained in glands distributed over the whole plant and contains caprinic, plagonic, caprylic and oenanthylic acids have been found. Rue contains max. 1% of an essential oil, whose main components are 2-hendecanone (2-undecanone, methylnonylketone, up to 60%) and 2-nonanone (methylheptylketone) plus several more ketones and corresponding secondary alcohols. Methyl anthranilate and anethole glycol are also reported; terpenoids are represented mainly by limonene, α-pinene, cuminaldehyd and l,8-cineol. Rue also contains flavonoids (including rutin), furanocoumarins (including bergapten), about 1.4% furoquinoline alkaloids (including fagarine, skimmianine, arborinine, and others).
Historical
Rue has been used as a medicinal and "antimagic" herb for centuries. It was considered a reliable defense against witches. Gunflints boiled in a mixture of rue and vervain were said improve the shooter's aim. Artists, including Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, improved their creativity and eyesight by ingesting rue. Rue is a symbol of regret, sorrow and repentance, and Catholics used sprigs of it to sprinkle holy water on worshippers. The rue leaf was the model for the suit of clubs in playing cards. The name Ruta is from the Greek “Reuo”, meaning “to set free”. (1)(2)
Health Warnings
Some people are allergic to rue and get a skin rash from handling the plant. Especially on hot days, just brushing against rue can cause water blisters and blotchy skin, much like poison ivy. For some people, ingestion causes increased photosensitivity and can lead to severe sunburn. Ingesting large amounts of rue can cause violent stomach pain, vomiting, and convulsions. Pregnant women should never ingest rue. (1)
Plant Description
Rue is an aromatic plant native to southern Europe and northern Africa. It is commonly cultivated in Europe and the U.S., sometimes escaping to grow wild locally. It is a small evergreen subshrub or semiwoody perennial 2-3 ft (60-90 cm) tall and almost as wide. The stems become woody near the base, but remain herbaceous nearer the tips. The 3-5 in (7.6-12.7 cm) long leaves are dissected pinnately into oblong or spoon shaped segments. They are somewhat fleshy and usually covered with a powdery bloom. The sea green foliage has a strong, pungent, rather unpleasant scent when bruised. The paniculate clusters of small yellow flowers appear in midsummer, held well above the foliage and often covering most of the plant. Each flower is about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) across with four concave notched petals. The fruit is a roundish capsule, warted, and 4-lobed, each lobe opening into 2 valves. (3)(4)
Legal Remarks
This product is illegal or somehow problematic to send to the following countries.
Click on the country link for further information.
References
(1) Ruta graveolens, Floridata
(2) Rue (Ruta graveolens L.), Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages
(3) Ruta.—Rue., King's American Dispensatory
(4) Rue, A modern Herbal, by Maud Grieve
(5) Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, compiled by Jellin, Jeff M.
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